Long story short? The "War on Hugo Chavez" has begun, and an "expert on Venezuela" gets a surprise visit from the feds.

What has Venezuelan politics to do with the war against terrorism?

Who officially sent out the thugs to pay a visit to my colleague?

That "conversation" was clearly meant to serve two purposes: to add to Professor Tinker Salas's ongoing file in a fishing expedition to uncover something incriminating against him; and to let him know that THEY are watching, a not-so-subtle warning to intimidate in order to curb his speech.